Vehicle top raising and lowering mechanism.



D. C. WATT & F. A. GREARSON. VEHICLE TOP RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANISM.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. I0. 1913. l,.%,95e Patented June 29, 1915.

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VEHICLE TOP RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.10,19l-3.

Patented. June 29, 1915.

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VEHICLE TOP RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANlSM.

APPLICATION FILED NQV.10,1913.

Patented June 29, 1915.

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VEHICLE T01? RAI ING Aim) mwsame MECHANISM a To all whom it may concern:

Be :it known thatwe, DELTON C. WATT' and FREDERICK 'A. GnnAnsoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Barre, in the county of Washington and State of Vermont, have invented new and useful Imrovements in Vehicle Top Raising and owering Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

Operators and owners of motor vehicles have experienced the diiiiculty, inconvenience, annoyance and effort required to be expended when raising and lowering the top and as result such top is left raised when otherwise it would be desirable to have the same'lowered or is left lowered when it would be advantageous to have the same raised.

The present invention provides a vehicle top particularly designed for automobiles which may be raised or lowered with ease into compact form when lowered without presenting any-of the workin'g parts so as to finished appearance of the machine.

The invention contemplates'a mechanism embodying an operating part such as a lo. ver which is located within convenient reach of the drivers seat to admit of the top being operated when it is required to raise or lower the same, the operating mechanism embodying novel transmitting means where- 'by the bows or supports of the top are moved at different relative speeds-to insure proper opening or closing 'of such bows or supports whenthetop is raised or lowered.

The invention consists of the novel features, details of construction and combination of parts, which hereinafter will be more particularly, set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings forming a part ofthe specification, Figure 1 is a View of an automobile provided with a top equipped- "a-plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2,

the cover of the top being omitted. Fig. 5 isza detail section on: the line 5-5.of Fig. 2.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J un 29, 1915.-

. Application filed November 10, 1918. Serial No. 890,133.

Fig.5 is a front viewof the operating mechi- FigLQiS detail view of a further nodifica. A tion. Fig. 10 is a side view, Ofnil still. fur;

ther modification. Fig. ll'isa'detail section on the dine. 11+11 of Fig. 10.1 Eig. 12-is a detail view'ofa stillfurther modification Fig. 13-is a detail section; on the line;13'13 of Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is :an'e'nlarged-section on the line 141-4 of a side member-of the forward extensible frame.- Fig. 15'is a fur,- ther modification.

Corresponding. and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings, .by the same reference charactersp It is to beunderstood that the invention is adapted for' vehicle tops generally but is of special advantage in connection with the tops of motor vehicles such. as automobiles since it provides means whereby the top may 'be quickly, conveniently and easily raised or lowered without requiring the op 'erator to leave the seat. The drawings here: to attached illustrate the invention in connection with the -;top of an automobile but the invention'is not restricted to such application. t

The numeral- 1'. designates the: vehicle I its rear end to the vehicle body; and a 'plurality of bows orlike'supports. In the event of the top being designed for a vehicle having front and rear seats the forward portion-of 'the'top is supported by means ofa' bow =3 =Wl11Ch is adapted to have its side members detachablymonnected with the ends Dfthe front seat'or other part ofthe vehicle body in any well'known'manner. This is essential because when the top is folded'or lowiered the fro'nttbow 3 is carried rearward 1n a manner well understood; The rear portion of the cover is supported by means of bows 4,-5 and-6 The how 6 has its side member's pivotally connected to th side members-of the bow 5. 5 are pivotally connected to the ends of the rear seat or to parts of the vehicle body and are constructed in such a manner as to cooperate with actuating meals whereby the The bows i and top may be raised or lowered. lazy tongs 7 connects the horizontal portions of the.

top. The relative position of such lazy tongs is immaterial so long as the result to beaccomplished is attained namely the carrying forward or rearward of the front bow or support 3. It is of course to beunderstood thatthe bows 4 and 5 are the power members to serve as the prime movers I x of the lazy tongs? which operates to extend the cover. I

In the construction shown-in Fig. 1 and I the detail views thereof the bows 4*and 5 are provided at the lower ends of their side .members with toothed sectors 8 and 9' which.

match with toothed sectors 10 at the upper ends of levers 11 which are pivoted between side plates 12 at the ends of the rear seat or at opposite sides of the vehicle body. The

toothed sectors 8' are of less diameter than.

the toothed sectors 9, hence the movement of the bow 4 isproportionately faster than the travel of the how 5, this being essential to admit of the proper lowering and raising of the top. In order to obtain a substantial and durable structure the sectors 8 and 9 are pivotally mounted between the plates 12. The arrangement of the parts is such as to avoid interference and to prevent any part of' the top operating mechanism detracting from the appearance of the machine or vehicle. The rods 13 extend along said sides of the vehicle body and preferably below the same so as to be outofthe way and are connected at their rear ends with the lower ends of the levers l1 and at their front ends with an operating lever 14 or like part arranged within convenient reach of the drivers seat so as to be readily accessible when it is required to raise or lower the top.

The'front portion of-the cover is supported by means of a frame 15 which is substantially U-form and has its side members pivotally connected to the side members of the front how 3. The frame 15 is held in horizontal position by means of folding braces 16 such as commonly provided between the bows of folding (vehicle tops. The frame 15 is extensible and comprises sectional side members which have a telescopic arrangemrent andbetween which expansible springs 1 or folded, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 3, the braces 16 have their joints broken and the frame 15 is contracted by pressing the front portion inward, such frame folding upon the bows and being secured in any manner, the front portion of the cover. serving as a protector for the remaining portion of the cover. I

In the modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the bow 4 has its side members provided with extensions 18 which are connected by means ed in suitable guides are interposed. When the top is lowered a differential movement of the two members of the bow 5 are secured to shafts 23, said shafts having arms 21 fastened thereto and constituting theextensions. The side members of the how 4 are secured to'hollow' shafts 24 which are mounted upon the shafts 23 and in'turn are journaled in bearings 25 at the upper ends of brackets secured to the sides of the vehicle body. Arms-18 forming the extensionsare secured to the inner ends of the hollow shafts 24.

In the construction shown in Fig, 9 the 'bows4 and '5 have extensions 18 and 21 which are connected to the'upper ends of the side levers 26, the connection being such as to admit of a relative play between the parts when the levers 26 are operated to effeet a lowering or a raising of the top. t

In the modification shown in Figs. 10 and 11 the side members of the bow 4- are pro-j vided with toothed sectors 27 which are in mesh with rack bars 28. The side members nected therewith and in mesh with the rack bars 30. The rack bars 28 and 30 are mountprovided upon opposite and are connected by means of links with upper ends of levers 32 at the sides of the vehicle. The toothed sec tors 27 and 22 have connection withthe respectiveibows in a manner similar to the extensions 18 and 21 described in connection with Fig. 8.

The modification shown in Figs. 12 and '13 is substantially the same. as shown in Fig. 9, the bows. having their side members prosides 'of a plate 31 -vided with extensions 18 and 21 which are" connected by means of links 19 and 22 with eccentric straps 33 and 34 mounted upon eccentrics 35 and 36, said ezcen'trics being operable in any manner to efi'ect a movement of the bows top.

The bows 4 and 5 of the modified form. shown in Fig. 15 are provided at their lowerends with sectors 37 and 38 which engage with a sector 39 at the upper end of a. lever- 40. The elements 37 38 and 89, engage frictionally, 'In this connection it is to be understood that within the purview of theinvention it is proposed to connect thebows and operating levers in any manner 'to cause posi-' tive movement of the parts to insure ii1'ais when raising or lowering the I t of the how 5 have toothed-sectors 29 con- 10 0 ing or a lowering of the top when the predetermined actuating element is operated.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

, he advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while we have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which we now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, we desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. The combination with an extensible cover forming a foldable top for a vehicle,

and adapted to have one end fixed to the vehicle body, of a power member forming one of the supports for the cover and spaced from its fixed end, a movable support between the power member and the fixed end of the cover, expansible means connected with the power member and the support, and means for operating the power member to distend the expansible means whereby the latter together with said power member and movable support will be in relative position for holding the cover raised and taut from end to end thereof. 1

2. In combination with a vehicle top embodying pivoted bows or like supports for the cover, said bows having extensions of their side members projecting to unequal distances and side levers having connection with the extensions of the bows unequal distances from the fulcra of such side levers, whereby the bows have a differential movement imparted thereto in the raising and lowering of the top.

3. In a folding vehicle top, a front frame of substantially U-form for supporting the forward portion of the top cover, said frame embodying extensible hollow telescopic side members which are pivoted to the front bow,

and springs cooperating with and disposed within the hollow telescopic side members of the frame to effect a thereof.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

DELTON O. WATT. FREDERICK A. GREARSON.

Witnesses:

V. B. HILLYARD, I. M. BIGELOW- yielding movement Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, I). C. 

